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Soaring FAQ, Questions Answered by Bob Cook

I passed my Commercial Glider test on June 6, 2009 with the same examiner I had taken my private glider some years back. The test was really dejavu. He asked me many of the same questions and had me do all of the same maneuvers. Though, I was more satisfied with my performance this time. The flight test began with a simulated rope break at around 300 feet with the altimeter covered. This was just like the situation on the private test except this time I completed the turn in the correct direction and this flight test I was flying from the back seat. I got the spot landing out of the way on that same landing just as on the private test. The following tow, we dodged clouds to get to 2,500 feet. I boxed the wake around the turns and he gave me the option of just doing half a box but I just finished going all the way around the box. A couple stalls and steep turns later and we were ready to head back to the airport. I demonstrated a slip to land and a nice landing and rolled back to the glider shack to have my new certificate issued. I had my temporary airmen certificate (issued not a whole month prior) taken away from me to be replaced by a new temporary certificate to include my commercial privileges.


I got my Private Pilot Single Engine Land Airplane rating on May 15, 2009. I had to postpone the flight test several times due to bad weather and that day wasn't looking very good either. The weather forecast I looked at said it would be a cloudy morning but would clear up later in the day. After making a rock solid commitment with the examiner to show up at the airport and proceed with the exam, rain drops fell on my windshield on the drive over. I refused to turn on the windshield wipers and admit defeat, that in fact it was a rainy morning and the test might not happen. I got to the airport early and made certain the airplane would be flyable and that the paperwork was in order. The examiner arrived and began the long paperwork process. After resolving some problems with the paperwork he went on to check the airplane logbooks, quizzing me on the entries he was checking. It turned out that the transponder had not been calibrated within the preceding 24 months and illegal to operate. I was afraid that after all this work and effort the flight test would not be able to go on. However, we determined that if we fly with the transponder inoperative and remain clear of airspace, that we can still continue the test.

The examiner grilled me about airplane knowledge on the oral test and asked many difficult questions that I have never pondered or been taught. To my great relief, the weather began to clear up but I was afraid that we might catch up to it on our planned cross country flight. I suggested that we have lunch prior to the flight to buy more time to wait for better weather. Luckily the weather was good enough by this point and we set out on a cross country flight from Blairstown to North East Philadelphia. Almost immediately enroute he wanted me to verify my position using VORs which I had never actually been asked to do enroute (only thought about). Shortly after, he told me to divert to Hacketstown. I knew the ballpark direction to that airport but I really did not have the time or concentration to start a complete paperwork plan for the route. I pointed the airplane in the direction to go and just hoped it would take me the right away. To make things harder, he had me do slow flight, stalls, and turns on the way to the diversion point. Luckily for me, I had once been to Hacketstown in a glider landout with Chip. After locating the airport, he has me do some turns to a heading and then return to blairstown under the hood. The first landing at blairstown was to be a short field landing. I had this set up beautifully and looked forward to showing off my short landing skills and was disappointed when he had me cancel the landing last minute and go around. The next landing he had me do a slip to land and that was the end of the test. After pulling off the runway he asked me if I thought I passed and I told him, "Well you haven't handed me a pink slip, so I must have." He seemed pleased with my answer and immediately began filling out a temporary airmen certificate for my new rating. I thought I did ok on the flight test but noted many mistakes that I had made that I should have done better. Later on, word came back to me through the pilot grapevine that actually he has been quite impressed with my performance. I was very surprised of this because I thought I could have done better. I think he was impressed that I spotted traffic that even he had not noticed (notably gliders circling and only visible part of the time) and that I just knew what I was doing and was ready for the rating.

For my first flight as Private Pilot Airplane, I took my girlfriend on a flight to New York City. We departed Blairstown in the Cessna 1-52 and flew to Old Bridge via Solberg VOR. The navigation there was quite easy. I brought my GPS on a flight for the first time but I had little need for it. I knew where I was and where I was going. The GPS just helped me confirm that I was going the right way rather than having to wait to see if I made it to the destination or not.

We took a quick leg stretcher in Old Bridge and then took off again. I climbed straight out and crossed the Garden State Parkway. I then jumped over to Staten Island and followed the southern coast line of the island toward the Verrazano Bridge. All this time I had to stay strictly between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. Anything above 1,500 is New York Class B airspace (for the jets) and anything below 1,000 is just too low. So I tried to stick to an altitude of 1,200 feet as best as I could with a bit of leeway both ways. We paralleled the Verrazano Bridge and then proceeded over Poly Prep and then on to overfly my house. It can take hours to get across Brooklyn by car sometimes but by plane it barely takes 5 minutes which makes it a challenge to stay over the area you want without overshooting the whole area. So after a few circles around the house, we went south to Coney Island and watched the traffic on the Belt Parkway as we passed the Toys R Us. Following the coast, we got to the Verrazano Bridge and set a reverse course back to NJ via Staten Island.

Once past Newark Airport, it was ok to start gaining altitude again which was a relief to get a little bit higher above the terrain. I was wondering about making a stop on the return flight but wondered where to go. I did not want to go out of the way to Old Bridge again so I thought perhaps I'd land at Solberg. Enroute, however, I saw Central Jersey airport as we past it and thought it was a nice airport to land at and decided to stop there instead. After the stop at Central Jersey, it was just a 20 minute flight back to Blairstown to wrap up a great day of flying.

Thursday April 9, 2009 and Sunday April 12 were two of the most incredible glider days of the year. The whole gang was out flying at Blairstown on both these days. I took the club 1-34R up on both days for 2 hours each. Thursday was the super thermal day and Sunday the super ridge day. On Thursday I climbed to over 9,500 feet MSL in thermals. I released at 3,000 feet but lost height down to 2,000 before I began the climb. This was my highest altitude in a glider to date. With climb rates over 600 fpm, I was gaining altitude faster than in an airplane. Sunday I came back for some low level ridge flying and made some runs between Milbrook and the Delaware Water Gap. I gained some fantastic experience on both of these excellent yet challenging days. This video is all footage from the first day and the final landing is on the second. I posted a smaller (11mb) video here. The two flights earned some OLC points for my club and are posted here:
April 9, 2009 - Thermal flight to 9,500'
April 12, 2009 - Local ridge flight

Here's the Cessna 1-52 I did most of my solo flying in as well as my solo cross country flights. Yeah, good times they were, flying with broken radios, transponder, etc. Of course the best story is the all out electrical failure I experienced on my flight back from Bridgeport. I was doing my night cross country flight with an instructor I hadn't previously flown with. After landing bridgeport we started taxiing to the FBO but agreed that we'd rather just get back to Blairstown sooner by not shutting down. I requested clearance to taxi back to the runway and proceeded to the hold short. I called the tower requesting takeoff clearance and they replied that the transmission was unreadable. I tried again with no success. I started to fumble with many of the switches on the radio panel and kept trying to get a radio check all to no avail. I even tried to use the Com2 radio but still unreadable. The tower transmitted that they would not let us takeoff with a failed radio and that we may cross the hold short line to turn around and return to the ramp where the avionics shop might still be open to assist. During the taxi back I figured I would just give it one more shot and called for a radio check and this time the tower responded with a 5-5! Pleased with the good news I stopped right there on the taxiway and called for a clearance to taxi to the runway again. But to my dissapointment the tower responded that I was unreadable once more. I began taxiing again and got a sucessful call out again. At this point my instructor and I caught on that the radio worked while we taxiied and not while stopped. We had to run the engine at a higher than idle RPM to get the radio to transmit. So we taxiied back to the runway and keeping the throttle in with full brakes requested and got the takeoff clearance. We flew all the way back to blairstown without further incidenct and used the radio to get the runway lights turned on. I landed on runway 25 and just as I was making the turnoff the lights and radios went out completely! I looked over at the instructor thinking maybe he shut the master but quickly realized he could not have hit the master without reaching his arm past me. Then it dawned on me that we had had a complete electric system failure. I did not want to take responsibility for taxiing the plane in complete darkness so I told him that I would prefer he taxi. With nearly no light to guide him he managed to get it back to the tiedown and we shut her down knowing it would be for the last time in a while. We figured there was an alternator problem and that the battery went dead. Later on, the mechanic who worked on it told me that the wiring got melted from heat through the cracked exhasust!

Friday September 21, 2007 I flew my first solo in a piper cub. After a bunch of takeoffs and landings with my instructor at Trinca airport, he finally got out and that is where the real flying began! It turns out that it is so much easier flying by myself in all respects. The plane is lighter, takesoff in no distance, the controls are easier to move, can see the instruments and out the front. It's fantastic. It's actually a lot easier to fly it this way than with the instuctor on board.

On April 22 2007, I flew and successfully landed the Schweizer 1-34 sailplane for the first time. Its a fabulous glider compared to the stuff I'm used to flying. It is very smooth, quiet, and easy to control. Everyone got me so worked up over it, making a really big deal about how hard it is to land it. It was tough, but I got through it ok. Later I flew a 1-26 for an hour of which the first 50 minutes were a struggle to stay up and the last 10, I rode a 6 up thermal from 1400 to 4000 feet. Finished the day off with 2 hours flying piper cub at andover.

So today, Saturday March 24, 2007 is a historic day in aviation. I've been waiting almost 20 years to do this and it is now finally begun! I made the first step towards private pilot in powered aircraft by taking my first lesson in a piper cub. No bullshit on this plane, you have a stick, some pedals, and a nice view out the sides and that's about it. You're most important instrument is a thin rod that sticks out of the nose that tells you your fuel but even that is not that important. The main thing is to look out at the horizon. By looking out at the horizon you can tell your speed, direction, and just about everything you may want to know, like which way is the market heading tomorrow. Just kidding, but it sure does tell you where you're heading.

So the day started out with getting stuck between the gates at the airport without being able to figure out how they electronically open until my buddy Cookie showed up and fearlessly drove into the gate until it succumbed to his demand and opened. Bob introduced me to Damien who heads the Andover Flight School and from there it all began. I climbed into the back seat because that is where the pilot flies from in this kind of plane. Bill, my new instructor, got into the front seat and said, "You probably can't see any of the instruments, but that is a good thing, we are going to teach you how to fly without them." He then taught me how you have to taxi the cub in zig zags so that you can see the taxiway because you can't see forward over the upsloped nose. Really soon we were on the roll and before I knew I was in the air, he already wanted me to take the controls and maintain a climb. It took a little while to get used to having an engine but pretty soon I got the hang of it. I learned how speed is related to pitch attitude but how pitch attitude/speed combination varies at different power settings. Before the flight was over, we had done turns of all steepness, turns around a point, power off stalls, power on stalls, and 5 simulated approaches. I could have kept going but the plane was booked so we had to land and end the lesson at one hour and thirty minutes, but nonetheless it was a very fulfilling flight, and aside from the sore arm, I definitely look forward to more powered flying of this sort.

View RC Launch Video

View my takeoff video

February 24th, 2007 I flew on the Blairstown local ridge solo for the first time. From my 3,000 foot release over the ridge, I was able to contact with some thermals and maintain my height for a little bit, but as time progressed I was sinking lower and lower. Since I sunk below 2,200 feet AGL Blairstown, it was a heart pounding struggle to gain enough height to comfortably make it back to the airport. I was flying back and forth on the ridge waiting to hit the right lift that would take me home. When I climbed to 2,100 feet in a thermal and drifting over the top, I realized I should better take this home, lest such an opportunity not arise again. I put the nose down and held on by my teeth as I zoomed through the leeward sink. Despite the altitude loss, I entered the Blairstown traffic pattern like a gentleman with altitude to spare. A quick easy landing and I was back on the ground in one piece; no broken legs, no death wishes, and only more ridge flying to look forward to. Two weeks later I flew 3.5 hours on the local ridge with far more confidence and eagerness to experiment. I flew all the way from to the gap and back almost to catfish pond. A great flight topping the last!

November 3rd 2006 seemed like a typical "good soaring" day. Winds were out of the WNW at around 8 mph, cumulus clouds were forming well before noon, and visibility was unlimited. I got Sweet Red (a Schweizer 1-26E) ready and out on the flight line. I took a tow to 2500 feet AGL, but released at 2000 in what I thought was lift. It was very week and not enough to climb in. I lost all my height trying to find another thermal and ended up landing back at the airport. I went for a second tow immediately and made the same stupid mistake, getting off in the sucker thermal. The third time I stuck it out to 3000 feet and almost immediately found a thermal off the ridge. Slowly but surely I climbed through 5000 feet. I jumped over the ridge (for the second time ever on my own) and went just north of the R/C field. I contacted some good lift there and came back across the ridge higher than I'd set out. For the next two hours I followed a stupendous thermal street back and forth (North-South) for as much as 11 miles. I went as far as 3 miles north of the ridge to as far south as past route 80. I logged a silver climb with a total climb of around 3900 feet. I learned many great lessons from that 2 hours 45 minute flight. This was my first flight that qualified for the OLC

I got approved to fly the two seat Blanik

My R/C Endeavors

My scratch built powered R/C

My first scratch built R/C was a glider

One week after getting my private pilot license, I overcame my fear of flying a different glider (particularly a one seater because no one can sit in there with me and help me transition) and flew the ACA 1-26 "Sweet Red" for the first time. Above is a photo immediately after my first non-fatal accident in the ship. Thanks Chip for the photo.

After I got a cockpit check by three club members and was set to go, I took a tow to 3,000 feet because I wanted to make sure I was familiar and comfortable with the controls before landing. I avoided the dreaded pitch ocilations on takeoff that everyone was warning me about and just took off normally and stayed in line with the towplane. As the towplane started climbing, that's when I started seeing trouble. The glider kept trying to stay well to the right of the towplane (I was later told that it was because I was in the prop wash below normal tow). Flooring the rudder wouldn't even bring it back to center so I put a little left aileron and nothing, a little more, nothing, and a little more and woosh! The 1-26 banked way over and started rapidly taking me out to the left side of the towplane.

At 3,000 feet I pulled the release and turned for the airport. On the way I hit some bumps and tried to circle them but with little effect more than slowing my ever continuing descent. The 1-26 is very responsive in the air. Everyone told me that the 1-26 is a like a little sports car, and they're right.

I stayed near the airport while wasting away my last altitude before entering the pattern. The alitmeter showed 1,200 feet but I felt I was lower. So I crossed the airport at 1,200 feet, entered the IP at 1,000 feet. I put in half spoiler (like I do in 2-33) on downwind leg and saw myself sink like a rock, so I eased off the spoilers and turned base a bit sooner finding myself now far too high and with the airport approaching. Cranking in full spoiler and attempting to slip, the plane sunk like I've never seen before. Just a litle over the ground, I eased off the spoilers and floated the glider until it landed itself. The glider landed and I used rudder and spoiler to bring it off to the side of the runway. Chip came telling me not to go anywhere while he gets his camera and he got a photo of me on my first 1-26 flight.

I sent my brother up for a lesson with Cook in the YCS 2-33. He got to do his first full takeoff and aerotow on that lesson (only his 11th flight). I got the next tow and moose put me in a thermal. It was weak but I held my altitude. I saw the blue 2-33 fly in to join me in that thermal. We circled together for nearly half an hour in the same thermal. At first we both maintained altitude but then the thermal got strong and we both climbed. That was the highlight of the day for me. At one point I was saying to myself, "This is so beautiful." Just two gliders, myself and my brother (with instructor) going around together, soaring.

Sunday, April 30th 2006

I passed my flight test and got Private Pilot license

Remarks of a Newly Licensed Glider Pilot

Bob Cook (left) and Michael Sazhin (right) set New Jersey State Open Class Multiplace
Free Out and Return Distance Record of 127 miles on the 26th of February, 2006
Undeclared Task: Milbrook->Hawk Mountain->Milbrook
Flight Details

A week later, Bob Cook and Michael Sazhin set New Jersey State Open Class Multiplace
Distance up to 3 TPs Record of 127.1 miles on the 3rd of March, 2006
Pre Declared Task: Milbrook->Slat Tunnel->Milbrook->Cherry Valley->Milbrook
Flight Details

I'm now Solo!

That's right, I can fly on my own now. On Saturday November 5th, 2005 I flew my first solo flight in the 2-33 pictured above. It started with three flights with the instructor plus a mock rope break. Then he told me, "Now this one you're going to do on your own" as he snuck out of the back leaving me on my own. The -180 lbs on the plane was noticeable immediately, as the tow pilot yanked the throttle full (despite the article on tow pilots going easy on new soloists) the nose shot up and full elevator would not bring it back down! The plane lifted off sooner, climbed faster, and flew the bumps harder. I had to use a lot of forward stick pressure to compensate for the weight of my missing instructor. The tow pilot towed me too fast and released me right over the airport, rather than tow slow and release slightly upwind of field. Most of my solo flight, I spent trying to fly upwind of the airport so that I could effortlessly enter the pattern when it came time to land. I flew slow as the instructor demonstrated on the earlier flights, to stay up longer.

Since I released at 2000 ft, and there was nothing but stable air, I only had 1000 ft to play with. I did some turns in both directions and kept my eyes open for traffic. Since I had no trusty eyes in the back, I felt more of an obligation to keep a good look out. I caught myself skidding on some turns and tried to concentrate on avoiding that. My nervousness was making me screw up so I told myself to stop being distracted by the nervousness and concentrate on flying. As I continued to circle over the red and yellow tree tops, a grin stretched across my face. At 1100 ft I made one more 360 turn and came across the big number 7 painted in white on the runway directly below.

I sped up as I went through USTALL (Under Carriage, Speed, Trim, Airbrake, Look, Land) to about 55 mph. I opened the spoiler a little as I came around the lake because I saw I'd be reaching the initial point at over 800 feet. I closed the spoilers and continued the downwind leg parallel to the runway. Soon I opened the spoilers half way because I was still flying too high. I scanned the airport for traffic, finding to my great disappointment a powered plane on final for runway 25, 2 planes holding short for takeoff, and 2 taxiing across the grass glider runway. I closed the spoiler to gain a little time to avoid the landing airplane, then I turned base while repeatedly saying "Keep the nose down, keep the nose down for speed" to myself. Seeing that the traffic on the crossing taxiway had not yet cleared, I opened the spoilers all the way, knowing that I had to land short; overshooting was not an option.

The most frightful turn was the turn from base to final, where many a pilot has skidded/stalled spinning to his death. I felt myself pulling back slightly as I pushed the stick left and immediately reminded myself to "keep the nose down." I pushed the stick more forward, making a steep turn, while holding full spoiler. I was nicely aligned with the grass runway and just a little bit too high. I was considering a slip, but knowing that I was just barely too high and feeling anxious, I passed that idea. As I crossed the fence and neared the threshold, I started closing the spoiler slowly and pulling back on the stick at the same time. I let the plane float a while until it put itself on the ground. The touchdown was a bit hard, but was by no means a bad landing. I reactivated the spoiler, but noticing that the taxiway was finally cleared and I had some distance to go, I closed the brakes again and rolled further until all of the momentum of the 2000 foot tow was gone. The plane came to a stop no more than 100 feet from the taxiway, a spot landing on my first solo.

Here is a rough draft of an essay I am working on that describes how soaring is both fun and challenging while remaining safe